BY LINDA HARRIS
SYDNEY, Australia - The fight by coal miners, members of
the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU),
picketing the Gordonstone mine in central Queensland has
intensified.
On February 10, Rio Tinto took over the mine from previous owner ARCO, a U.S.-based company, and hired nonunion labor. Rio Tinto, the world's largest mining company, has spearheaded the assault in this country on coal miners and the CFMEU, especially targeting seniority rights.
Gordonstone is the longest-running picket in the history of the bituminous coal industry in Australia. In October 1997, in an attempt to break the union, ARCO sacked all 312 workers. Miners decided to fight the sackings and have maintained a round-the-clock picket at the mine ever since.
On February 11, unionists rallied to the picket lines. Twenty-two people were arrested as they formed a human roadblock for three hours in front of a bus containing 40 replacement workers. The next day the company was forced to airlift most of the nonunion workers out.
Over the following weeks, mass picket lines twice blocked the bus carrying out the nonunion workers and forced them to remain in the mine overnight. The second time was on February 23, after the company announced it would start cutting coal for the first time. To date, 146 people have been arrested on the picket line including Jim Pearce, a member of parliament from the governing Labor Party in Queensland. Those arrested were released on bail conditions that prevent them returning to the picket.
Tony Maher, general president of the mining and energy division of the CFMEU, said, "This is simply a union busting exercise by Rio Tinto." The nonunion workers will "find themselves in the same position as the Patrick Stevedores' scabs". Strikebreakers hired by Patrick were dumped after dock workers won their union jobs back after a month-long battle on picket lines last year.
Members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) have been in the forefront of workers who have mobilized to ensure that 100-200 people are on the miners' picket line 24-hours a day. Jim Lambley, CFMEU district vice-president, said that the MUA was supportive after also being victimized by the federal government's push to destroy unionism in Australia.
The CFMEU filed unfair dismissal applications in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) on behalf of the miners when they were sacked by ARCO. In February 1998 the AIRC ordered ARCO to make compensation payments to the miners and in August to reemploy the sacked workers on the basis of seniority if they reopen the mine. Rio Tinto had claimed that the dispute was not of their making and that they should not have to employ workers sacked by ARCO. However a federal court order on February 24 joined Rio Tinto as a party to the proceedings over the status of the sacked miners to be heard in April.
On February 27 a mass union rally of more than 1,200 miners and their supporters marched through the streets of the nearby town of Emerald. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who was visiting Australia sent a message of support saying, "We are with you in your struggle".
At the rally John Maitland, president of the CFMEU, said that this was a fight of national significance and that national action was being discussed. He said rolling stoppages could begin at Rio Tinto mines. CFMEU members, according to one worker, are planning to fill a plane with wharfies and construction workers from Sydney to rally in solidarity at the mine.
Linda Harris is a member of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union in Sydney.